The Lady's Butler: I Reincarnated To Serve The Villainess-Chapter 25: Engagement Annuled

Renelle let out a deep breath as she waited for the herald to announce her entrance.

"Are you sure you prefer this dress, my Lady?" Renelle’s handmaid asked for the nth time today as she stood by her side.

She remembered bringing back the hairpin, only to find that her lady had removed the blue dress and had on a red one.

This was a strange sight to the handmaid because the lady had been adamant about finding the best tailor to prepare her custom made blue dress, even when everyone knew she wasn’t fond of too much blue.

For the prince, she had been willing to overlook that small dislike, which was why the sudden change confused her so much.

The blue dress had been perfect.

It was elegant, dignified, and most importantly, appropriate for someone attending a ball with her fiancé.

Yet here Renelle stood, wearing a deep crimson gown instead that she had chosen without a thought of its presentability.

The handmaid couldn’t help but worry.

"Yes," Renelle nodded with a smile on her face, "I quite like this one."

The handmaid hesitated slightly before bowing her head.

"Of course, my Lady."

But even as she said that, she couldn’t shake the strange feeling that something about Renelle felt... different today.

"Then I shall take my leave," the handmaid said with a bow, as servants not assigned to the ballroom were not permitted inside, "I wish you a pleasant evening, my Lady."

Renelle nodded and watched her handmaid leave before focusing on the doors that led to the ballroom again.

Given that the music had quieted down, she was certain that her ’beloved’ fiance and his beloved Saintess had walked in.

Soon enough, the herald’s voice was heard again.

"The young lady of the Ardent House, Lady Renelle."

The doors leading to the ballroom slowly began to open and with a deep breath to prepare herself, she elegantly walked forward.

The moment she stepped into the ballroom, multiple eyes fell over her, something she had expected to happen already.

After all, most of the nobles attending this were only here for the entertainment she might provide them when she saw her fiance with the saintess.

And in her previous life, she had provided enough of that entertainment.

Renelle’s eyes scanned through the crowd of nobles, but just as she was about to look away, a strange feeling guided her eyes towards a certain pillar.

Her icy blue eyes locked with a pair of grey ones and she didn’t know why, but she suddenly felt her heart beating faster.

All the other nobles around her seem to become irrelevant as she continued looking at the man.

It was strange.

Not just the fact that her heart was suddenly beating so loudly in her ears but also the way the man was looking at her.

His eyes were full of an emotion she very clearly recognized, one she had seen multiple times over in her past life while looking in the mirror.

It was obsession.

So much of it that it almost felt overwhelming, but it also made her heart beat faster.

Renelle finally forced herself to look away before anyone could notice her unusual gaze before moving towards a certain corner of the ballroom and grabbing a random drink from a passing servant.

Gulping it in one go, the slightly alcoholic beverage ironically helped her gain control over her thoughts again

Her fingers tightened slightly around the cup in her hand, as she recalled the look that man had given her.

She knew that look very well, she had seen it every morning whenever she looked into a mirror during her previous life.

It was the look of someone who had devoted themselves completely to something.

Or someone.

And the unsettling part was, that gaze had been directed entirely at her.

Renelle’s brows faintly knit together.

"Why?" She muttered to herself.

It made no sense for him to give her that look unless he knew her from her past life, and as far as she could recall, she never met a noble with features similar to his

So why had he looked at her as if she was the center of his entire world?

The music suddenly switched, pulling her out of her thoughts as most nobles started pulling their partners to the center of the ballroom for a dance.

"I’ll find out later," Renelle muttered to herself, putting the cup back on a passing servant’s tray, "for now, let’s get this over with."

With that, she looked around for a bit, and spotted his fiancee on the dance floor, and just like in her previous life, he was elegantly dancing with the saintess.

Renelle’s face had a small smile on it as she approached them just as she had done.

The music continued as Prince Lucian guided Noelle gracefully across the floor, his movements were confident and refined, every bit the prince admired by the empire.

Yet even so, a few nobles had already begun noticing Renelle’s approach.

And slowly, they started whispering.

Lucian noticed this as well and his eyes moved past Noelle’s shoulder, landing on the approaching figure in crimson.

For a brief moment, there was a flash of surprise across his face.

Red?

In his memory, Renelle had always favored blue when attending royal events. It had become something almost symbolic of her devotion to him.

But tonight, she wore red?

His brows faintly furrowed, but the dance forced him to continue moving.

Noelle noticed the shift in his attention, so her gaze followed his, and the moment she saw Renelle approaching, her steps faltered slightly.

Lucian quickly steadied her.

"It’s alright," he murmured quietly, though his eyes never left Renelle, "I’m here."

The music began reaching its final notes and the nobles surrounding the dance floor gradually stepped back, creating space as the dance concluded.

Lucian guided Noelle into the final turn before gently releasing her hand, then a polite wave of applause followed.

After that, the hall slowly turned quiet as Renelle Ardent had finally arrived before the two.

"What magnificent dancing Lady Noelle," she calmly praised with a smile on her face, "now, if you don’t mind, I’d like my fiancee back."

"Y-yes," Noelle nervously answered as she tried stepping back, but the prince held her wrist.

She briefly glanced at Noelle before turning back towards Renelle with a look of disgust on his face.

"You have been drinking?" He asked as he picked up the scent coming from her breath even though she stood a few meters back.

The drink Renelle had taken was neither a hard alcohol, nor was it harmful in any way, the problem was that its scent stuck to the breath for more than one would appreciate.

And that scent was easily recognizable.

Around them, several nobles exchanged knowing looks. It wasn’t uncommon for people to drink during a ball, but it was generally expected that ladies of Renelle’s standing would show restraint, especially during such an important event.

Lucian’s expression hardened further.

"Lady Renelle," he said slowly, "it seems your conduct continues to fall beneath what is expected of someone of your station."

"If Your Highness is concerned," she replied, her tone still perfectly calm, "it was only a single drink."

The prince clenched his fist as he replied, "that is hardly the point."

"Then perhaps Your Highness would care to clarify the point," Renelle answered.

Noelle looked between the two anxiously, "Lucian, perhaps we should—"

"It’s fine," Lucian interrupted gently, though his eyes remained cold as they returned to Renelle.

"For a long time," he continued, "I believed that the rumors surrounding your behavior were exaggerations."

Renelle’s expression remained unchanged.

"But tonight," he said, his voice growing louder, "you have demonstrated once again that those rumors were far from unfounded."

"And what rumors might those be, Your Highness?"

Lucian let out a short chuckle as he started, "who in Avera doesn’t know of your arrogance, your cruelty, your obsession with me."

His briefly turned toward Noelle.

"And your repeated mistreatment of Lady Noelle."

Renelle followed his gaze.

Her icy blue eyes landed briefly on the Saintess, who visibly shrank under the attention, then she looked back at the prince.

"I see."

"After bearing witness to your conducts, I have no doubt that this decision is the correct one," the Prince added.

"Lady Renelle Ardent," he declared loudly for all to hear, "this engagement is hereby annulled."